Diaphragm spring reciprocating tool



Oct. 6, 1953 L c. M KECHNIE DIAPHRAGM SPRING RECIPROCATING TOOL Filed Aug. 23 1950 0 0 m m v 2. y 0 u M h T N m N H I m m r fi 1 M a Patented Oct. 6, 1953 int. ,MEKefcii E i 'ofMi'chigan j Detroit, M das j, I camera-tron of Michigan, a corporation g'hor to Application Augiist ts, 195i, sfiiii ft. '11, o" 54 .This invention relates to ra idlvrqiprscse ing or vibrating tool or electrode an particularly to a disc or diaphragm springusd in conjunction therewith to facilitate adjusting the mechanism to the force applied to cause the vibrationf that desirable amplitude and phase relation characteristics result. e V e I ;A,.spe ific lapp cation of ,the invention is in conjunction with rn'etjal'gh sir' t'egrators of the type shown in the patent to Harding, 2,441,319, and in the patent to 'McKechn'ie, 250L945, wherein a rapidly 'recipro'catd electrode is positioned "relative to a workpiece for making and breaking an electricaljarc between the electrode and the workpiece in the presence oi a coolantfqr disintegrating a definite area in the workpiece to form an orifice, therei o in this connection w e noted that Hardini uses a cam 31 in conjunction with a coil spring 35 to effect rapid reciprocation of the electrode 55 While McKechn e uses'a magnet 26 and a body 28 in conjunction with a eon-spring 44 for rapidly 'r eciprocating the electrode 50. e In use tl'iesede vices'have proven 'di'fiicult to phase and "adjust due to fsprin'gs displacing and deforming uniformly'in conjunction with the appliedforce for load so that'adjustrnent between the end "of the vibrating electrode and the workpiece is iaulty resulting in the electrodes either being too far away from the workpiece in weak-arcing relation therewith or being too close to the workpiece in welded relation thereto. In other Words, it has been extremely difficult to adjust the vibrating electrode relative to the workpiece so that it will arca'certain length and not weld due to the deformation and displacement ofvthe coil springs being proportional 'to the applied force which renders thedevice too resilient to transmit fieel toanoperator or a sensingmech'anism sue-has a se'rvomo'tor. v h H I It is, therefore, a primary object of the inventijon to provide a spring for 'a vibrating t ool 'capable of transmitting ieel s'o that the electrode can be accurately adjusted relative to a workpiece to strongly arc and not weld. r 'An object of the invention "is to providea disc 'ordiaphrag'm spring for "a vibrating electrode.

An object of the invention 'is'toprovideaspring which is adjustable to the applied force to obtain desirable phase-relation and amplitude to effect proper arc-length to facilitate dimensional control of the area disintegrated in a workpiece.

An object of the invention is to provide a spring which is capable of being pro-loaded to effect determinable vibration to insure proper arclength.

These, ahfldiother objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description bi 'thefdisc or diaphram spring embody.- ing theinvention taken in conjunction with the attached drawing, in which: Y

Fig. ,1 is a side elevational view, partly in a cross-section, of a disintegrator employing v a single, flat, diaphragm or discular spring in conjunctionivith mechanical applied force.

Fig. 2 is ,a partial side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of ajdi'sintegratorembodying a "single diaphragm or discular spring in conjunction. with electrical applied force.

Fig. '3 is a partial side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of, a fdisint'e'grator embodying two -dia'r'al iragrn for discular springs pre-loaded in opposed relati'on Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of a circuit suitable for use 'in'con'jun'ction with the device shown in Fig. 2-

the inventive "spring in relation to the applied force; P iid FigJS Jis aflview similar to Fig.1 showing a like device in conjunction with electrical force.

, Reierringnb'w to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts through the several views, the spring disclosed in conjunction, with a vibrating electrode arc-disintegrato'r to illustrate the invention comprises an annularvjspring body having a central or axial opening, supports adj'fi'Cen't the external peripheofthe spring body, and a toolor elecsltion'e'd intheaxial opening of the spring bodyflandin arisfor vibrating the electrode which consists jof either ja cam and wiping plate or a a and. armature. H p I e V eto tli e vibrating'means it will be noted 'th'atthe 'iojrcje applied is down in the case of the foam andiup in the case of the magnet necessitating adjusting the vibration of the electrode in conjunction with'dotvnward force at a point below thep'osifiiQl QiQthe end oi the electrode as seen 'in'Fig. '1 and adjusting, the vibration of the electrode'ln 'conjunction withupward fore-eat a point above the pos'iti o'n'o'f the end of the electrode as seen 1n Fig. 2 as the travel in Figs. 1 and 2 are tooppositeektremities. In other words, the electrode will vibrate in relation to applied force and spring return between the point marking farthest travel and a point between the point marking farthest travel and the starting point due to lag in return in relation to the applied force.

More particularly the illustrated device comprises a frame [0, a rack ll mounted in a supporting head [2 adapted to lower and elevate the frame It), a driven cam I 4 or a magnet 15, a wiping plate I 6 or an armature l1, an electrode or electrode holder 18 mounted on the plate E6 or armature ll, guides 19 slidably positioning the electrode 18, supports 29 on the frame I9, adjustably associated or fixed thereon as desired, a diaphragm or discular spring body 2| having a central or axial aperture therein surrounding the electrode IB mounted on the supports 29 adjacent its external periphery with the spring body 2| in supporting relation to the electrode l 8 in the area thereof adjacent its central aperture by means of a bushing 22 or a direct connection, not shown. The bushing 22, the armature 17, the plate It are longitudinally movable via the set screw 23 relative to the electrode to adjust the applied force in relation to the spring body 2!.

Obviously the cam M, the magnet 15, and supports 29 can be longitudinally movably mounted relative to the wiping plate It and armature I 7 to effect adjustment between the applied force and the spring body 2i or the power applied to the magnet !5 may be controlled and/or varied to effect adjustment between the applied force and the spring body 2!. Fig. 4 shows suitable wiring for varying the power to the magnet I5 wherein a 110 volt transformer transmits 8 volts via a 5 ohm variable resistor with the magnet 15 having a winding of 1 ohm resistance. speed of the cam M also is adjustable to suit the desired speed of electrode reciprocation.

To achieve stability of reciprocation or vibration, the mass, applied force, amplitude, natural frequency, applied frequency, damping factor, timing and phasing must be properly co-ordihated and adjusted to achieve optimum results. It has been found in the case of applying the force as seen in Fig. 2 the neutral point of vibration moves closer to the magnet whereas in the case of applying the force as seen in Fig. 1 the neutral point of vibration moves farther away from the cam. In the case of the magnet 15, this further increases its inductance and causes additional lag in the current flow over the normal in the magnet !5 which must be compensated by decreasing the resistance via the variable resistor to allow more current to flow or by the use of a resistor in the transformer primary or an adjustable transformer.

It is important, contrary to popular belief,

,that the vibration of the electrode, be clamped to eliminate the spring body 2| vibrating at resonance as, when vibrating at resonance it is too easily thrown out of resonance resulting in phase displacement and amplitude reductionrby the slightest amount of friction or obstruction rendering the tool unstable and consequently unusable, whereas an exceptionally stable vibration, lagging or leading the applied force, is obtained in damping the vibration of the spring body 21 by ore-loading one body 2! as seen in Fig. 3 with each body 21 initially displaced by the bushing or spacer 22. This double opposed spring body adaptation permits easy adjustment of head resonance frequency while retaining any desired amount of damping with the rate variably The adjustable as desired by the width of the bushing or spacer 22 or by the thickness of the bodies eifecting the overall range. This double opposed construction provides an extremely stable device both in amplitude vs. applied force as well as in phase relation vs. applied force in that the spring body 2| inherently has a force-displacement curve of the nature shown in Fig. 5. When the vibration is stable, the electrode 18 can be fed relative to the workpiece 23, Fig. 1, Without distorting the vibration thereby providing feel for the operator or automatic feed so that determinable arc length can be obtained to facilitate dimensional controlv in disintegrating.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the vibrating electrode of a metal disintegrator other uses of the inventive diaphragm or discular spring body can be devised by those skilled in the art such as in pneumatic and mechanical traumatic tools and it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, detail, and arrangement of the elements of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a reciprocable tool, means for reciprocating said tool comprising resilient means mounting said tool and drive means operable to move said tool against the force of said resilient means, said resilient means comprising a pair of metallic diaphragm members mounted in coaxial relation with their peripheral portions fixed against movement, said members having axial apertures for receiving said tool, means for spacing said members axially at the centers thereof and means preventing axial movement of the tool relatively to said members.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein means is present for preloading the tool in one direction of reciprocation thereof.

3. In a vibrating tool mechanism, a tool adapted to be vibrated axially, means mounting said tool comprising a pair of metal diaphragm members fixed against movement at their peripheral portions, said members having aligned axial apertures for receiving said tool, means carried by said tool for spacing said members apart at their central portions and for fixing said tool against axial movement relatively to said members.

IAN C. McKECI-INIE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,539,439 Kumler Jan. 30, 1951 

